Area Attractions

NEARBY GOLF AND SKI RESORTS -- enjoy skiing, snowboarding and tubing in the winter, and golf in the summer.  Hawksnest Golf and Ski Resort is just a short 1/2 mile walk from the cabin. Sugar Mountain, Beech Mountain and Appalachian Mountain are only a short drive away.

GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN-- famous for its sky-line profile of a grandfather- like figure, visible from SR 105.  The park includes  a small zoo of mountain animals, an educational wildlife program, a hanging bridge with a great view of the area and well maintained hiking trails.

MAST GENERAL STORE--located on the Valle Cruces road off 105,  this is a wonderful old general store, 1880 vintage.  Fun for anyone, very instructive for children.  This location (there is another in downtown Boone)  is on the National Registry of Historic Sites.

CANDY BARREL--just down the street from the Mast General and of the same genre, anyone with a sweet tooth will delight in this nostalgic interpretation of the timeless appeal of sugar.  Select candies from rows of barrels, then have it weighed for your by-the-pound bill. 

ASU-APPALACHIAN SUMMER-- July and August, a series of programs sponsored by Appalachian State University and the Boone community.  It offers excellent, reasonably priced music, drama and art presentations.  It is very well done and very popular. 

LINVILLE CAVERNS--interesting, beautiful underground  caverns.

TWEETSIE RAILROAD--a theme park in Blowing Rock with a full day's worth of amusement.  The wonderful miniature Tweetsie Railroad circles the park and offers transportation to visitors.

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY--a drive with incredible views of the Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountains.

MINING AND FISHING--at the foot of Seven Devils Mountain is Grandfather's Mining and Fishing, offering a stocked pond and gem mining by the bucket.  Lots of fun for kids and the young at heart.  In Foscoe, the Greater Foscoe Mining Company has a fancier set up.   For about $5 you get a bucket, which takes children at least an hour to pan and recover the gems. 

WALKING, HIKING --there is wonderful walking on the mountain.  The roads are almost all paved and  twist and turn up this beautiful area. The roads range from relatively flat to very, very steep.  

SHOPPING--Banner Elk is a very quaint, rustic, scenic little town with wonderful little antique and specialty shops.  Boone is larger, but very charming with more of the same. Blowing Rock is a very up- scale,  scenic shopping area.  On Route 321 Between Boone and Blowing Rock is a nice outlet mall, Shoppes on the Parkway. 

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